Future Times
by Ann Fan
Summary: How has Flower Bud Village changed in twenty-one years? PG just in case, but I promise you nothing really bad, and no swearing. Chapter 4 is up! Please R&R.
1. Lillia's Departure

Hi there. I realize that this idea isn't quite original, but I really wanted to write about it. If you'd please R&R, I'll try my best to keep the story line interesting.  
  
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Future Times  
Chapter One-Lillia's Departure

Twenty-one years ago, Joe thought, twenty-one years ago my father set foot on this farm to restore it back to the condition it was in when great- grandpa was alive. He scanned the field intently. It was in very good condition. The animals were grazing contently in the grass field surrounded by a neatly arranged fence. He tried to imagine his father setting the fence line. Each piece of lumber one by one being struck into the ground. How hard his father had worked to recover the farm. Then the memory hit him why he was standing alone.  
  
_ Everyone was dressed in black standing down at the graveyard. The parson was speaking kind words and memories about Flower Bud Village's beloved Lillia. Her husband, good, old Basil was taking it pretty hard. Popuri was doing her best to comfort him, but he continued to stare at Lillia's grave in disbelief. Mint was crying into her father's shoulder uncontrollably. Joe just stood silently next to his parents. He thought it would be a bad impression if Mint saw him crying. Besides it was unmanly to cry...right? He wasn't so sure anymore.  
After the funeral Jack told his son, Joe that they needed to talk. So Jack explained the whole mess of arrangements that were to be made.  
"Joe," Jack began, "Basil decided that he just can't run the flower shop alone. He asked Popuri and Gray to move in and run it. Of course they accepted, and that means that no one will be there to run Green Ranch. So your mother and I decided to run it, but that still leaves the Harvest Farm to be taken care of. I was hoping you'd take care of it. You're almost nineteen and I think it would be good for you to have a place of your own." Joe thought on it a moment. It couldn't be too bad, could it? His father had done the same thing, and the farm had been in a much worse state than it was in now.  
"Okay Dad," he answered. "I'll try it."  
_  
From that moment on the farm was his. Joe laughed, for it wasn't every day you were just given a farm to care for. He stepped inside the desolate farmhouse. It was strange not to see his mother's decorations or his father's knick-knacks cluttering up the house. He took a look around, and stared at what once was a busy home, his home. And even though it was the same old house he'd lived in all his life, it had a sense of newness to it. It was now his "new" home.  
But after about two minutes of looking around, he became bored exploring his "new" home so he decided to go to town. But before he reached downtown, he ran into Kai and Karen's son, Riley, who was a bit younger than himself.  
"Hi Joe," Riley greeted with one of his trademark grins. "Um tell me...is Mint alright?" Joe knew what he was talking about. Anyone would've. It didn't surprise him why he was asking either. Riley had always been sort of infatuated with Mint, and naturally he asked about her a lot. It did pain Joe to answer Riley, though...about Lillia. Even though he wasn't related to her by blood, he was by marriage, and she'd always been like a real grandma to him.  
"Um, I'm not sure at the moment, Riley," Joe struggled with what to say next. "Well, I'd love to stay and chat, Riley, but I've got to go." Joe skidded off and away from Riley's curiosity. He breathed a sigh of relief as soon as he was out of earshot. He approached the flower shop. It felt eerie to be around Lillia's beloved shop. Joe's uncle, Gray was hammering up a new sign that read "Popuri's Flower Shop." It was strange to see that, but everyone knew it would end up that way sooner or later. Joe cautiously entered the shop where he found Mint slumped up in a chair.  
"Hi Mint," he greeted his cousin gently.  
"Oh...hi Joe," she quietly replied. Something was definitely wrong. For one thing Mint never called him Joe, always Joey. And for another thing she just wasn't her usual, chipper self. Joe's concern clearly showed on his face. Mint was vulnerable enough to notice.  
"Uh Mint."  
"I know Joe...but grandpa keeps reminding me. I don't want to be sad, I really don't, but grandpa..." She was about to crumple, but Joe caught her in a tight embrace. Mint let the tears fall freely. She never hesitated to cry in front of Joe. She knew he understood. It was a cousin thing. Actually Joe was more like a brother than a cousin so it was a cousin-brother thing.  
"Maybe you should stop spending so much time around Basil...and around this shop." At first he was afraid he'd said the wrong thing, but when he realized that she was captivated by his words, he knew that it was safe to continue. "You should get out and meet more people... Hey, why don't we go somewhere right now?" Mint's face brightened like a light. She got up from her chair, and soon she and her cousin were headed to Moon Mountain.  
  
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Hi again. I really hope I can get some reviews. That's all I ask for. Thanks so much for taking time to read my story so far. Sorry my chapter is a little short.


	2. Jimmy's Return

Hello readers. I'd like to thank my reviewers. Thanks so much! Please enjoy  
and please R&R.  
  
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Chapter Two-Jimmy's Return  
Jama sat quietly watching her father, Harris make finishing touches on the new room that had been added on to her grandparents' home. Well, actually it was her parents' home because her grandparents had moved to a retirement home in the city.  
"Tada!" Harris exclaimed. "There it is, Jama, your new room." She stepped inside, and took a look around. The first thing that abruptly caught her attention was the fact that there were two beds.  
"Pop," she questioned with a quizzical expression on her face, "why are there two beds?" Harris instantly cracked a grin.  
"I've got news for you, Jama...Jimmy is coming home!" Jama's mouth hit the floor. Jimmy was coming home? She tried to dig back into the back of her memory, and remember what he was like. Then it hit her, the memory why her older brother, Jimmy had left.  
  
_ He sat facing the window. He'd hit the rough age of seventeen. He and his father fought a lot. His little, fifteen-year-old sister, who was very much like their mother, would ask with pleading, green eyes why they fought. He never had an answer, though.  
He walked out the door and to the vineyard, where he met his girlfriend, Vicki. Vicki handed him a bottle. He took it without question, and brought it to his lips. She did the same. But suddenly her father, Kai caught them. He yelled the living daylights out of them, and angrily sent Jimmy home to his awaiting father...bad news.  
Harris set off like a bomb. He'd never been so furious.  
"If you want to behave like that, Jimmy," he yelled in fury, "you can get out of this house!" Jimmy looked his father right in the eye with his teeth clenched in hate. For a split second there was a hint of sadness in his eye...his father had just said that he was such a disgrace he didn't deserve to live there anymore, but that feeling was soon replaced by an intense hatred. He stomped into the room that he shared with his sister, and began rummaging through the drawers.  
She looked up at him with those same pleading, green eyes, and asked, "Brother, why are you so mad? What are you doing?" He looked back into those eyes. What should he say?  
"Well, Sis...I've got to go away for awhile. You've got to stay here." He reached into his pocket, and felt around for something. Then he looked at the shiny object that was held in his clasped hand. It was a shiny, gold locket. He was going to give it to Vicki, but the chances of seeing her again were slim. "Take this," he replied dropping the locket into his sister's palm. Tears welled up in her eyes as she held it in front of her face to see it. Jimmy couldn't stand to see her cry. Within seconds he slipped away from her presence, and out of the house. He was gone.  
_  
As Jama exited memory lane, she realized that she was clasping her hand tightly around the shiny, gold locket that had hung around her neck for nearly two years. It would be so nice to see Jimmy again, she thought, after all that's happened.  
  
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Jimmy nervously tapped the deck banister on the ship that was taking what seemed like weeks just to get to a small, remote town most of the world's population didn't know existed called Flower Bud Village. It had been two years since he'd bought himself a ticket to the city. After two years of doing nothing but messing around, he was SICK of the city. But his thoughts were suddenly turned to his family. Had they changed a lot?  
He thought of Maria, his kind-hearted mother. There was no doubt in his mind that she'd be overjoyed to see him, but he wasn't so sure about his father, Harris. Did he still hold a grudge against him for that night? Then he thought of his sweet, little sister, Jama. She was a mix of both the good qualities of Maria and Harris. His face softened when he thought of her. He couldn't wait to see her, but he wondered, had she changed too much? Had some wonderful guy stolen her heart yet? He hoped not with all his heart, not Jama, please, not Jama. Then last in his line of thought came Vicki, his former girlfriend. How had she changed? Had she found another guy? Oh so many questions. But Jimmy decided to stop thinking before he passed out.  
Finally the ailing, old boat stopped at the dock almost knocking Jimmy off the deck, but instead landing him on his arm. He quickly got up from his uncomfortable position, and scanned over the beach as he stepped off the unpredictable boat. Memories were beginning to daze him already, for the beach was the place that he'd first met Vicki.  
  
_ The young mother led her five-year-old child by the hand to the beach. The little girl was wrestling within her mother's grip defiantly. She somehow wriggled her hand out of her mother's, and ran straight for the shore. She suddenly toppled over a small, jet black-headed boy.  
"Ow!" exclaimed the boy rubbing his head. The girl just giggled with an ornery smirk on her face, which did not go unnoticed by the black-headed boy who bolted straight towards her.  
"What's your name?" the little girl asked in between breaths that were consumed by their sudden frolic.  
"Jimmy!" the furious boy blurted out tackling her to the ground.  
"Heh heh. Mine's Vicki." And with that said and done the little girl leaned forward, and planted a kiss right on Jimmy's right cheek. He was too stunned to pummel her as she ran to the protection of her mother, Karen. Vicki blushed flirtatiously._  
  
Of course back then Jimmy and even the flirty, young Vicki were much too young to know that something would actually amount of that unexpected, little kiss on the cheek. But Jimmy shook his head back into reality, and began to make his way over to his home. He couldn't walk by something and not tie it to some kind of memory or another. Then as he rounded the corner of the beat-up, dirt road, he saw it the ivy surrounded house that he'd so suddenly left nearly two years ago. He slowly walked towards it, but was stopped when he tripped over a grave.  
"Ow!" he exclaimed. "I didn't know there was a grave here. How dumb can you be to trip over a silly thing like that?" Then his eyes scanned over the name. It read: Lillia, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother. His heart softened a bit. Lillia, the kind, chipper florist was dead? But as much as these thoughts saddened him, he continued to his house. When he stepped inside, he saw his family sitting at the dinner table. For a split second, they didn't realize his presence. He saw that a chair was placed at his old seat. Had they done that all along? His thoughts were soon interrupted by the quiet cry of his mother.  
"J-Jimmy?" she breathed in disbelief. And with that the rest of the family's heads jerked around to see. Maria instantly got up, and threw her arms around her little boy. Jama, on the other hand, fell out of her chair. Harris helped her up, and then they both walked over to Jimmy. The family had a happy, little reunion, but none other was more emotional than Maria was. When Jimmy saw his "little" sister he was amazed at how pretty she'd gotten. He soon caught her in a very tight embrace, and she held up the locket that he'd given her that night two, long years ago. Harris firmly shook Jimmy's hand, and Jimmy was relieved that his father had forgiven him.  
Jama helped carry Jimmy's things to their room, and Jama started to converse.  
"Jimmy, it's so nice to have you back," she stated on the verge of tears.  
"It's nice to be back," he heartily replied. He was finally home...to stay. 


	3. New Neighbors

Hello! Thanks so much again to my reviewers. I WOULD NOT be able to write this story without your support. I really enjoy writing this story, and I hope you like reading it. I'm always open for new ideas and suggestions too. Thanks again!  
  
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Chapter Three-New Neighbors  
Though many Flower Bud Village citizens didn't know it, there were new people moving into the beach house that the carpenters had recently built. Tina, one of the newcomers, was one of only a few people who knew.  
As Tina's unique, blue-green hair blew all about her face she thought, I'm SICK of this stupid boat! After being on board for three days she was getting a very bad case of seasickness, and to make matters worse, her two brothers were wearing on her nerves. Her younger brother, Tony thought he was so tough, with his muscles and backward cap with his dark blue bangs sticking out of the hole, but Tina knew better than anyone else that he was more bark than bite. Her baby brother, Stan wasn't any better when it came to annoying people. On land, he had a very loud and unruly donkey that he constantly paraded around on, but the thing that bothered her most was that her parents, Rob and Sandy had agreed to take the dim- witted donkey to their new home!  
Rob and Sandy wanted to raise their children in a good social environment, and the city just wasn't the place for that. With Tina at age nineteen, they knew she'd marry soon, and they'd rather see her marry a sensible country boy than a reckless city boy. They also thought that it would be good for almost eighteen-year-old Tony to stop developing his tough-boy image, which he got from his city friends, and begin developing a nicer attitude. But if they thought that he'd actually do that then they were crazy. Eight-year-old Stan on the other hand, was just starting at the beginning of life, and would hopefully live the rest of it in Flower Bud Village.  
The other reason they'd moved was because of Rob's job, a chef. They said in the city that you could throw a rock in any direction and hit one. In Flower Bud Village however, they only had a small bakery so Rob thought that it would be a good idea to spice up the quaint town with his fabulous dishes. Sandy helped with the cooking, but could never quite live up to her husband's expertise.  
As the tiny yet "luxurious" boat drew closer and closer to the shoreline, the family became more anxious to settle into their new home. Tina got so anxious that she just about jumped off the deck to swim the rest of the way, but something inside her made her resist. Finally after what seemed like weeks, the boat gracefully came to a halt. The whole family practically jumped over the deck and onto the beach. They were awed when they saw their new home.  
It was absolutely beautiful! In was everything they expected a beach house to be and more. The front room, which would later become the customers dining area, had a huge, glass window that wonderfully showed off the great view of the beach. As they walked inside they found that each room was carpeted and roomy. Now all that was left to do was unpack everything. Rob was the first to participate in this. One by one a family member carried each box in. It would probably be two days before they would be able to relax so they wasted no time, and began to put things in place. The first to be organized was the bedrooms.  
After about an hour of putting things in place, Tina got tired, and decided to stroll on the beach for a bit. As she stepped upon the beach her, blue-green hair began to blow wildly again, but she didn't care this time. At least she was finally home.  
Tina didn't watch where she was going, and that's how she bumped into someone. She looked up to see a boy about her age with jet-black bangs hanging over his green headband. His forest green eyes stared into her purple ones.  
"I'm terribly sorry, sir!" she quickly apologized.  
"Ha that's okay," the boy laughed as his grim expression changed to a joyous one. "My name's Jimmy. Pleased to meet you." He extended his hand.  
"I'm Tina," she introduced taking it. "Me and my family just moved here." Jimmy stared past her, and set his gaze on the beach house.  
"Oh yeah, I'd been wondering what that beautiful house was for." Tina grinned, and flourished on the thought of spending the rest of her single life in the beautiful house. Jimmy glanced on past her, and saw Tina's family carrying everything to their new home. "Do you need help moving?"  
"Well, yeah! That would be great!" Jimmy flashed a smile, and picked up a box that he could barely carry. Tina chuckled to herself as she saw him struggling with the box, then went over and helped him. He then flashed one of those I-know-I'm-a-geek smiles. Tina could imagine her and Jimmy getting along well.  
Suddenly and very unexpectedly, Joe came running onto the beach with a fishing pole in his hand, but when he saw Jimmy the pole seemed to vanish from existence, for it dropped directly out of his hand. He stopped his running right in front of Jimmy. They both looked into eyes that hadn't met in nearly two years, and for that moment they both knew what the other was thinking, the handshake.  
  
_ Two young boys were standing on the shoreline trying to do some sort of hand shake. They'd been friends ever since they were very little, and were now seven. Neither luck nor cooperation must've been on their side for just when one got it right, the other would mess it up, and get the right one messed up again as well. Finally both boys gave up and plopped down on the sand.  
"You think we can get it?" the boy with chestnut hair questioned.  
"Yeah. You just wait and see, Joe. We gonna be so good at this that we'll be able to do this twelve years from now!" the black-haired boy replied with confidence. He was grinning from ear to ear. Suddenly they both looked each other in the eye with smirks on their faces, and within five seconds, they were on their feet, and beginning their hand motions. Much to their surprise, they got it perfectly right. The laughed all the way home.  
_  
And there they were, twelve years later, the moment of truth. They both got their hands in position, and slowly yet confidently began. Each gesture seemed to come naturally, as if it was all they'd ever done! That same smirk was on their face when they finished. Tina looked at them with a quizzical expression.  
"I'll tell you later," Jimmy replied chuckling. "In the mean time, this is my best friend, Joe." Joe and Tina kindly shook hands, and Joe blushed a bit in return. Jimmy thought to himself, how did I ever leave this wonderful town? He just couldn't find a reason, but now he was back and nothing would ever make him leave again, ever. 


	4. Connie and Tony

Hello! Once again a special thanks to my reviewers. I love hearing what you think, even if it's not always good. I'm always looking for ways to make my stories better. Thanks and please R&R.  
  
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Chapter Four-Connie and Tony  
Connie could smell the delicious aroma of her cake baking in the oven. It was time to take it out. She also smelled a mysterious odor coming from another one of the bakery's four ovens. Molly must be trying to cook again...just swell.  
Connie removed her gorgeous cake from the oven. People often told her that she had her mother's knack for cooking, but despite the compliments Connie made sure she never got a big head. Then Connie's eight-year-old sister came rushing in to get her...creation. When she removed the "cake" all that was seen on the sheet was a mass of black and brown. Molly looked up at her sister, and gave her one of those uneasy I-did-it-wrong-again smiles. Connie just patted Molly's head and giggled, and instantly Molly's face became relaxed. Then their aging father, Jeff came in.

"Well, well, well, what have we got here?" he questioned half-uneasy. He smiled at Connie when he saw her lovely cake, but wrinkled his nose when he caught sight and smell of Molly's. "That could use a lot of work, Molly." And with that he disappeared back into the main bakery room. Molly's face turned red with embarrassment and anger.  
"Ooooh the nerve!" she exclaimed throwing the sheet to the floor and stomping out the door. Connie was left to deal with the mess. She quickly cleaned up the result of Molly's temper tantrum before their father made more comments. Connie wasn't too happy about cleaning up the mess, but she understood how Molly felt and thought that her father's behavior was unnecessary. It wasn't Molly's fault that cooking just wasn't her thing.  
When Connie went outside to retrieve Molly she found Molly pulling her pulling her long, neatly done braids, a habit that she did when she was angry or confused.  
"Molly," Connie began, "it's okay. Don't mind Dad, he's just not sensitive of other people's feelings." Molly continued to pout. "You know, you don't have to try to cook good so hard... Let's face it cooking just isn't your thing. Why, why do you try so hard?" There was a long silence, but Molly finally did answer.  
"Well," Molly replied, "...Mom is just so proud of you and everyone else in the village likes your cooking and, and..." She stopped for a moment, but kept on going. "...and I thought maybe Mom would like me more if I was a good cook like you." Connie embraced her annoying yet caring, kid sister.  
"Oh silly, Mom wouldn't love you any less if you were the worst cook in the world. Why don't you invest your time in something you like to do." Molly smiled and ran into the house only to come out with the sketchpad that her mother, Elli had gotten her for her eighth birthday. She flipped to a page in the middle, and there before Connie was a beautifully drawn picture of herself. "Gee whiz Molly! This is good!" Molly just couldn't stop grinning. This was what she should spend her time doing, Connie thought, not cooking. She gave her sister one last squeeze before they both went into the bakery again.  
  
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Meanwhile back at the beach, Stan had somehow managed to sneak off from the hassle of moving boxes, on his obnoxious donkey, Eisenhower, or Ike as everyone called him. Rob and Sandy soon discovered this, and they reluctantly gave Tony the assignment to retrieve him. After a great deal of huffing and puffing, Tony finally gave in and went off to find his brat brother.  
"I hate this town!" he said to himself. "I hate it that we moved!" And with that he jammed his fists into his pockets, and continued his search. He went into town hoping someone had seen him. As soon as he saw a building with a sign reading "Bakery" something inside him told him to look there. He entered the bakery to find Stan looking at pictures with a little girl that had long, brown braids. He seemed to enjoy her company and vice versa. Then Tony almost went weak in the knees when a girl with long, goldenrod hair walked into the main room. He'd never seen anyone so beautiful, not even in the city. Her face brightened when she saw Tony.  
"Hello," she greeted beaming, "how may I help you?" Tony just kind of stood there gawking for a moment, but finally came out of his daze. "I've never seen you before. Are you new to the village?"  
"Uh huh," he sheepishly answered. "I'm Tony. Me and my family just moved here."  
"I'm Connie, pleased to meet you." She extended her hand, and Tony gratefully took it.  
"Uh, yeah same here." Connie looked over at the two eight-year-olds in the corner. Tony noticed this and he quickly explained. "Oh that's my brother, Stan over there."  
"And that's my sister, Molly."  
"They seem to get along pretty well."  
"Yes."  
"W-well, we'd better go now," Tony replied blushing a deep shade of red. "Come on, Stan!" But before he left Connie opened up.  
"Uh Tony. If you want maybe we could meet at Moon Mountain tonight, and y-you could tell me about your family. I-I'd like to find out about you too." Now it was Connie's turn to blush. Tony couldn't believe it. It seemed almost too good to be true.  
"Well...see you then!" Tony rushed home with Stan, gushing with joy. Connie on the other hand decided that she'd make something to eat.  
  
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When Tony returned home, he dug into his luggage to find his best outfit, a green shirt and blue jeans. His parents suspected that something was going on, but decided to let it work itself out. At least Tony wasn't huffing anymore.  
Tony never thought he'd ever be so nervous in his lifetime...especially over a girl, but every moment that he wasn't re-adjusting his hat he was moving his fingers in a tedious fashion. Each step that brought him nearer to Moon Mountain was another step closer to Connie. Oh how he wished he wouldn't make a fool of himself in front of her, but he knew he would. He'd never hit it off very good with girls for some reason. Maybe they thought he was just a hopeless macho, but he sensed that this time it would be different. As he rounded the corner to Moon Mountain, he re-adjusted his hat one last time, took a deep breath, and walked on to where he soon met Connie.  
"Hello Tony!" she greeted happily waving. Well, she remembered my name, Tony thought, that was the furthest he'd ever gotten.  
"Hi Connie," he replied trying desperately to stop blushing like a careless fool. They sat next to the small pond that was shadowed by the old fisherman's tent. For a moment there was a stone cold silence, but Connie decided to break it.  
"So what's your family like?"  
"Well, my pop's a chef-." Connie quickly and abruptly interrupted him.  
"Really? My dad's a baker. That's almost the same thing!" Tony stared into her deep brown eyes stunned that she'd interrupted him so quickly. "Oh please forgive me. I'm known not only for my cooking, but, tee hee, also for my outbursts." Her cheeks blushed wildly.  
They continued to talk about their families, and before they knew it, it was nightfall. Tony, like a proper gentleman, walked Connie home, and to his surprise she planted a small kiss on his cheek before she disappeared into the bakery. He blushed as he touched his cheek in disbelief. As he walked home he thought, maybe this town won't be so bad after all.  
  
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Whew! That was a workout! It was fun though. Please forgive me if I begin to slack off a bit as far as updating. I really want to get this other story I'm making started. I'll do my best to keep up, though. Thanks so much for reading. R&R.


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